CHICO -- Carrie Cantrell walked into the Vallombrosa Avenue post office on Monday, looked at the line and thought, "Oh no, this is going to take forever."

"I'm one of those — I waited until the last minute," she said. "These are my last two packages and I dreaded coming."

Lines were long but the waits fairly short Monday, as last-minute gift givers mailed packages and cards on the U.S. Postal Service's busiest day of the year. Cantrell was done in less than five minutes, leaving with a smile after staff guided her through the self-service shipping station so she didn't have to wait for the counter.

Thelma Safarik walked in with a dolly stacked with boxes, gifts for her grandchildren, ages 21?2 to 18. Her hope was the packages destined for Seattle, San Jose and Petaluma would arrive before Santa.

"I thought if I got here now, there might be a lull but that didn't turn out to be the case," she said just after noon, as the line stretched to the door.

Postmaster Ann Glynn said she expected to serve 2,000 customers Monday, compared to the usual 1,400. The downtown post office, she said, would probably serve 800 or 900, up from its standard 500.

To address the spike, she brings in additional staff from around the district and employees start the day with a strategy session. Glynn herself helps supervise self-service stations.

"I hate lines," she said. "My thing is, I can get you outta here in 45 seconds."

Monday was the likely deadline for any mail destined for the East Coast, Alaska or Hawaii. Gifts or cards destined for the continental West Coast can probably be postmarked as late as Friday.

Jack Feder walked in with a fistful of Christmas cards, mostly stamped minus two bound for overseas. The 25 cards were his second load of the season, after he jotted a personal note in each.

"I just feel you keep in touch with people," he said.

"At my age, it's refreshing to find somebody's reply. I know they are still around."

A blanket in one hand and a package sealed with peppermint-print tape in the other, 3-year-old Henry Hall walked in with his mom Sarah, to cross the final Christmas mailing off their list.

"We tried to get it done early," she said. "I thought it was going to be pretty crazy, but it's easy."

Mondays are typically the busiest day of the week, and Christmas on a Tuesday adds to the workload, Glynn said. Compounding the chaos was Free Shipping Day, a promotion by online retailers with many a promise to arrive in time for Christmas.

Online shopping and shipping has done little to reduce post office holiday package flows, Glynn said. Her crews are as busy as ever.

Glynn designated two of her trucks to do nothing Monday but pick up packages at large Chico shippers. With in-store drop-offs and location pickups, the postmaster estimated Chico would handle 13,000 parcels Monday.